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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

5 Questions Training Camp Will Answer

Five things we'll learn about this Buccaneer team when training camp kicks off in July.

Take a look at some of the best photos of the Buccaneers' offense from the 2015 season.

1. How much has Winston improved?
Last season, Winston spent his spring preparing for interviews and training for the combine. Before that, he spent his offseasons playing baseball. This past spring has been his first full offseason to focus solely on football since he was little and so far, the extra time has been paying dividends. Winston returned for mini-camp in noticeably better physical shape and looked strong through offseason workouts. But we won't really get a feel for how much he's improved this offseason until pads come and defenders are applying pressure on him. 

2. How will Noah Spence's game translate?
Like Winston, Spence had a strong offseason. The Buccaneers' coaches, along with fellow defensive players, have spoken highly of the team's second-round draft pick, especially his natural ability to rush the passer. But unlike Winston, there wasn't much for Spence to show during non-contact practices without pads. He was considered to be one of, if not the best pass-rushers in the draft, but the level of competition he played against at Eastern Kentucky is far from what he'll see in the NFL. Whether or not he can make an immediate impact at this level will be evident when camp kicks off.

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The Buccaneers' 53-Man roster.

  1. Is Louis Murphy the front-runner to be the Bucs' No. 3 receiver?**
    There are three or four wide receivers that could realistically land the Bucs' No. 3 spot at wide receiver, but should Murphy be the front-runner? He began last season as the third receiver behind Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, but missed the majority of the year with a knee injury. And he hasn't taken any reps in the spring as he continues to recover from the injury. When camp begins, will he be lining up with the first-team offense or will it be Adam Humphries, Kenny Bell, Donteea Dye or another player?

4. Is the left guard spot J.R. Sweezy's for the taking?
Similar to Murphy, Sweezy has missed spring workouts recovering from an injury so we haven't seen him on the field in a Buccaneer uniform yet. He's expected to step in for Logan Mankins, who retired a year ago, at left guard but he will have to beat out Kevin Pamphile, who has been working with the ones during the spring, to do it. Pamphile can essentially play every position on the line while Sweezy is best suited at guard, so it could help the Bucs' depth along the line to have Pamphile as the swing man and Sweezy as the starter.

5. Will Alterraun Verner start over Vernon Hargreaves?
In our bold predictions series, I predicted that Verner would begin and end the season as a starter, meaning that Hargreaves would likely spend his rookie season working in the slot. Verner has been the starter alongside Brent Grimes all spring while Hargreaves worked with the second-team. It's important to remember, though, that Jameis Winston worked with the twos all spring but was promoted to the team's starter right before the start of training camp. If the Bucs' coaches believe Hargreaves is ready, they'll start mixing him in with the ones when camp begins.

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